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Throughout the lifespan of the franchise, there have been some powerful characters that have battled against the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior, all of which equate to great power. Kung Fu Panda features some strong characters, but only some can be regarded as the strongest.
Updated January 21, 2023 by Jake Fillery: It may have taken a few years, but the Kung Fu Panda franchise is back and in a big way. Not only is Jack Black returning as the lead character Po the Panda for the second season of Netflix’s Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, but it’s also recently been announced that the franchise is returning for Kung Fu Panda4, a highly anticipated sequel from DreamWorks Animation which will inevitably feature some of the strongest Kung Fu Panda characters.
With the return of Kung Fu Panda, fans not only get to see iconic Kung Fu Panda characters, but they will further understand and learn more about them. This list has been expanded to include a few more of the franchise’s strongest characters.
13 Crane
A member of the Furious Five, Crane has mastered his own fighting style and often acts as the pragmatist of the group. Crane tries to defuse situations, and avoid conflict, when possible, but that does not take away from his talents as a strong fighter.
It is Crane’s compassion for his friends that makes him strong, and his willingness to fight when necessary. One of Crane’s best strengths is his ability to fly, which has saved him and his friends multiple times.
12 Viper
Viper proves her strength by being one of the leading members of the Furious Five. She is the daughter of Great Master Viper and a student of Master Shifu. What makes her so strong is her practice and mastery of the Viper Style of kung fu.
As a talented ribbon dancer, Viper showed an apparent skill in the art form, which allowed her to seamlessly enter kung fu. Her parents were the most impressed, considering Viper was born without fangs, but defied all odds and became one of the best.
11 Mantis
As the master of the Mantis Style of kung fu, Mantis proves that size isn’t everything. A member of the Furious Five and a student of Master Shifu, Mantis honed his skills to become the best. Those who come against Mantis’ claw will truly fear the bug.
What makes Mantis so powerful is how he was one of the first to relate to Po. He understood that one should not judge a book by its cover. Mantis exhibits great patience, physical strength, and a kung fu art style.
10 Monkey
There is no greater master of the Monkey Style than that of Monkey himself. As the third member of the Furious Five, Monkey was trained by both Master Shifu and Master Oogway. He was a troubled youth, who stole from the locals. That was until Oogway bested him, and Monkey decided to forge a new path.
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Monkey appreciates the determination of those who try, and has a great sense of humor. Monkey is a great warrior, and with a voice from Jackie Chan, it’s no surprise that fact. Despite being a powerful kung fu master, his weakness is his tail and his almond cookies.
9 Tigress
Tigress believed that she should be the Dragon Warrior for a long time, and resented the choosing of Po the Panda. It wasn’t until she saw him in action, that her compassion for him grew, and now she proudly fights alongside him as a friend. Tigress is a strong combatant in the art of kung fu and easily puts those against her in their place.
She is the master of the Tiger Style and another student of Master Shifu. Tigress received help from Shifu in controlling her great temper and strength, something which she managed to expertly hone to be one of the master kung fu masters.
8 Master Yao
Master Yao is one of the rare kung fu masters that Master Shifu admires. This character was first seen in the Nickelodeon TV series, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Yao’s expertise in kung fu is limitless, as he has an outstanding intellect and an understanding of many kung fu forms.
What makes Master Yao so powerful, is his usage of kung fu through the mind. This feat of telekinesis is something that many seem incapable of doing. If someone sees Yao’s eyes glow green, the best thing to do is run the other way, considering the master is about to use his mind for kung fu.
7 Wandering Blade
One of the newest characters in the Kung Fu Panda franchise is Wandering Blade, also known as Luthera. Wandering Blade was featured in Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight and assisted Po on his adventure across the globe. She makes great use of her stamina, strength, and combat abilities.
As a character who takes her duties very seriously, it’s no surprise that the Wandering Blade is a great fighter with her own mission to accomplish, and will prioritize that mission over other lives. Her use of a sword makes her a more effective fighter too.
6 Lord Shen
The greatest weapon of Lord Shen is his mind, and that’s what makes him a very strong character in Kung Fu Panda. Lord Shen is not only one of the best villains of the franchise for his cruelty and intellect, but the power he harbors in his army and his use of gunpowder makes him a dangerous threat.
Lord Shen is strong on his own, but when he has his army of cannons and gunpowder weaponry, he is nigh on unstoppable. Lord Shen’s festering for his past wounds is his weakness, and also the driving force of his strength.
5 Master Shifu
Master Shifu has trained a lot of powerful warriors. One of his greatest failures, Tai Lung, learned how to be a true threat to the world of kung fu, thanks to Shifu’s teaching. However, Shifu redeemed himself for such a pupil and went on to train the Furious Five, and the Dragon Warrior himself, Po.
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Shifu was a student of Master Oogway. Shifu was a highly skilled master, who at first, was stubborn and outraged about the true Dragon Warrior. Yet, he pushed past his pride and trained Po to be the best of all of them. Shifu can hold his own, despite his small size.
4 Tai Lung
As a powerful master of the Leopard Style of kung fu, Tai Lung was a force to be reckoned with. With his training from Master Shifu, Tai Lung became a strong warrior, but for Oogway, not strong enough to be the Dragon Warrior. This resulted in Tai Lung lashing out violently, and being imprisoned in a terrifying location until he managed to free himself from a feather.
Tai Lung showed great skill, strength, and determination, and if he could not be granted the Dragon Warrior title, then he would take it. Despite his power, he is thankfully not as awful as The Homelander. The Furious Five were no match for Tai Lung, and even Shifu struggled against his former pupil.
3 General Kai
As a general in an army, Kai is no joke. This great warrior fought alongside his brother-in-arms, Master Oogway until kai learned how to steal chi from others. After a great battle, Kai was banished to the spirit realm by Oogway, for five hundred years. Despite this, he was able to return as a Spirit Warrior with the determination to steal chi from every kung fu master.
Kai almost succeeded in his goal and became one of the strongest warriors that anyone had ever seen. His jade swords, attached by long chains, were dangerously powerful. Kai was a master at utilizing his weapons to the greatest effect.
2 Master Oogway
As an elderly tortoise, Oogway has seen a lot of challenges before his death in old age. Master Oogway was the founder of the Valley of Peace and the senior master of the Jade Palace. Without Oogway, there would be no Dragon Warrior legend. A veteran of wisdom, knowledge, and experience, Oogway deserved the utmost respect of all warriors.
Oogway spent his life dedicated to the art and teachings of kung fu as a force for good. He passed his teachings to many, before ascending to the Spirit Realm. Oogway’s death is highly emotional, and his presence is missed by the characters. If only he could be cloned.
1 Po Ping
As the inventor of his kung fu style, Po created the Panda Style and has used it to great acclaim. Po was prophesied by Oogway as the Dragon Warrior, and despite failing many times, he has always come out stronger, and better for it. Po proved to everyone, even himself, that he is a great hero and the strongest Kung Fu Panda character.
Po is fun and lovable, but above all else, he is courageous and mature. It’s one of the many reasons why he is the strongest character in Kung Fu Panda. His character development across the Kung Fu Panda franchise is what makes him the strongest. He is always eager to learn the newest skill, to remain the very best, and Kung Fu Panda’s strongest character.
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